By GMM

Ferrari signed the former McLaren designer last year, while Alonso - who
worked with Fry during his ill-fated single season with the British team in
2007 - was racing his first year with the famous Maranello based marque.

"When he arrived, he (Fry) brought new ideas, another way of working,
fresh air," Spaniard Alonso said during an interview with El Pais
newspaper.

For 2011, Fry has taken over the chief engineering post formerly occupied
by Chris Dyer, who took the blame for the championship-losing bungled
strategy decision in Abu Dhabi.

Alonso said that, in contrast, "When making a decision, there was nothing
that caught him (Fry) by surprise. It's what we needed," he insisted.

But when asked if he played a role in Fry's recruitment, the two-time
champion said: "No. I was told about it the day before it was announced."